


What I Can Do For Now

by ParanoidAndroid (HomesickAlien)



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Gen, the girl from the otherside au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-11-18 20:25:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18126071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomesickAlien/pseuds/ParanoidAndroid
Summary: being a parent is a difficult thing to do





	What I Can Do For Now

**Author's Note:**

> i saw a lot of TnS posts on my tl the other day and decided I wanted to write it, too.... Nagabe-san is a mangaka I greatly respect so I hope I am doing his work justice..... The art is so beautiful, it really captures the kind of art I would like to create, as well... Excuse me.....  
> I have wanted to write Ibukki + Chrono for a long time. My heart is weak for family relations as is probably obvious by my work, I love the concept of Ibukki being a very ignorant but caring father figure to Chrono. They share an immaturity I think is very soft... I wonder if it was well captured... I just started watching G again, but their interactions are pretty sparse in the first season, huh lol Well, hopefully it's well received....

The sun beams down against his skin, warm and light as it leaks through the heavy clouds looming over. Slowly, slowly, it begins the slice through the slits of his eyelids, forcing him to cover his face his his arms, eventually accepting his defeat in opening his eyes. Returning to the land of the living, of the conscious, of the breathing; He sits up from the large stump he’d been resting upon. The whole worlds is breathing, the land around them is lustrous, and yet it’s all too silent, and peaceful. There’s not a bird in the sky singing, no rabbits hopping through the grass, no wind to blow through the dead leaves hanging off the branches…

“I overslept…”

Chrono bemoans to himself, sliding a hand over his eyes down his face as if to lament his own foolishness. If he stays out too late he’ll be scolded, even just leaving the house is something of a crime, to his mentor. Even if he isn’t a strict one, he does his best to act as something of a surrogate parent to Chrono, reprimanding him firmly, barely able to hold an aggressive tone with him. He acts so uptight, but he’s a truly simple person; at least, Chrono thinks so. 

“There you are.”

Though, he hasn’t much time to reflect on his actions, turning to meet the voice that calls out to him, something close to glare catching Chrono’s gaze. The mentor’s dress is rather elegant, dark and evocative of the monster he represents. His thin, soft tail waves mindlessly behind him, expressing far more an array of emotions than his face could ever hope to. With distant eyes, he watches over this child, but it isn’t a bitter sentiment, nor cruel, nor even is he necessarily disappointed in him. They seem to hold the whole world in their gaze, and a little something more he can’t describe with words. This one is a true enigma, in ever sense, completely corrupted to the point of lacking any humanity at all.

“I’ve told you a thousand times, haven’t I? It’s dangerous to wander outside the house.”

“But it’s boring,” Chrono laments, hopping off the stump, “Sitting inside all day and night…”

“But you promised.”

Chrono huffs in response, facing away from his mentor with crossed arms, and this mentor of his sighs in response without anything more to say for himself. He’s too easygoing, to be a caretaker, too easy in general, but he supposes it’s a good trait to retain. This child must be on something of a rebellious streak, he thinks; He almost wishes to pull at his cheeks, call him spoiled as he is, but he hesitates, when his hand comes too close to the body. He can’t. He absolutely, without a doubt, must not reach out to him. That is one law that must never be broken, no matter how painful it burns in his chest. The two of them must never meet.

There’s a long, tense pause in the air as the desperation settles, the law that keeps them apart doesn’t retain a distance as it does make for creative leaps around it. He punts this child’s face with the tip of the bucket that had been resting in the grass, letting the cold metal linger over Chrono’s skin until he jolts forward. His hand rests over his cheeks.

“H-hey, don’t--”

“We should go fetch some more water,” He speaks, lowly. “Would you like to follow me into town?”

It’s a question unworthy of an answer, that Chrono responds only with a grunt as he leads the way. Of course he would. He’d just lamented his own boredom, after all.

“Let’s get something to eat, too.”

He says with a childish smile lingering in his voice. 

 

The town is desolate when they arrive, as empty as the last time they’d come here. It’s almost eerie, the sense of worn abandonment flows from each and every empty house the two pass.

“Don’t wander off too far,” His mentor speaks to him at his side, “Don’t go outside the town, okay?”

“I won’t.”

Chrono says, mind far from committed to his words as he wanders through one of the abandoned houses nearby. He’s a curious little creature that crawls into any place he can find, which can be useful in some ways, like for when they’re scouring for food or other unused necessities. But more often than not it’s just a trait that will get him in trouble, someday. His mentor can’t catch him if he falls, nor hold his hand to keep him from wandering off. He’s only good for watching, and teaching, and hoping that alone is enough. 

The mentor wanders into one of the abandoned homes, himself, searching through mostly emptied cabinets for food to eat.  _ Chrono’s hungry, _ it’s the only thought that lingers on his mind. Even if it’s not eternal, he’s starting to fall into this roll more comfortably than he’d hope to. Of his caretaker, of a parent… Those human feelings that attach him to this world, that he probably ought to have let go of by now, they never cease to concern themself with him.  _ I want to protect this existence _ , a selfless wish of a monster that moves about this desolate world alone.  

There’s a basket of bread hidden away in one of the cupboards, among other things of interests that lie about the lifeless house. It gives breath to the remnants of it’s past occupation, a life beyond itself he can’t much comprehend. “Chrono,” He calls out quietly, as he looks over the floors. “There’s a bit of bread left here, why don’t you grab it.”

He walks outside the house to meet the eager face of his child, nearly bumping right into him. That would be bad, he wants to scold him but he can’t really blame this little one for wanting to get the jump on him. He’s the one who ought to be more careful.

“Mentor,” Chrono’s voice resounds, “I found something interesting.” He says.

He waves it before his mentors face, a thin little card that just barely shimmers under the light. It looks a little scuffed on the backside, but the design of the front still looks pristine. What he can see of it, anyway, as Chrono doesn’t stop his hand long enough for him to get a good look of it. He eventually takes to just slipping it out from Chrono’s grip, holding it close to read over it’s heavy text.

“Can you read it, Mentor?”

Chrono asks the rather obvious question, to which he nods none-the-less. 

“It shares your name,” He says, “Chronojet Dragon, how odd…”

“Give it back to me.”

Chrono holds up his hands knowing even on his tip-toes he could never hope to reach him. The mentor is a truly humbling beast, taller than even the tallest human Chrono had met back in the place he used to call home. Though, everything seems much larger to a child than an adult, and though Chrono isn’t all that young, he’s far from that of a man yet. The one he calls his mentor lowers his hand to return the card, and Chrono smiles softly at it in a way that he must think mentor won’t notice it. But the warmth of his feelings shine through the means he takes to hide them, this soft sentiment of a newfound love burns even through this meaningless life they share. It’s more valuable than even the food they’ve come across, than the water they’re out to fetch, this simple little card that’s brightened Chrono’s day. If this one could smile, too, this would be the perfect moment to show it, but he simply marches onward.

“Don’t forget the bread.”

His voice is gentle as the moving river, and just as booming, that Chrono knows the time for leisure is ended. He grabs it, quickly, and the bucket too, for water, and follows suite his guiding light, pitch black beneath the near-setting sun. 

 

The soft clank of the heavy metal bucket fills their kitchen where he sets it. He takes a small drink of it with his hands, wiping off his face in the process, before settling himself down in a seat by the table. “Do we need more firewood?” He asks casually, his mentor still a ways away at the front door settling in. Still, he shakes his head in response.

“No, there’s still some left… I’ll get it.”

His mentor sets the fireplace and starts up a nice, warm fire for them, that Chrono is quick to huddle up to. Like a child, he’s always in the way, his mentor waving a hand to have him sit at the very edge of the fireplace while he cooks dinner. It’s simple tonight, the crack of an eggs shell and it’s sizzle as it hits the pan humming in his ears. He watches with awe as it comes together, the whites slowly forming at the end. With some amount of grace, his mentor flips the egg over perfectly, and with haste their meal is already finished.

Chrono says their meal, but in reality he’s the only one who needs to eat.

“It looks really good.”

Chrono says kindly, sitting up at the table while his mentor prepare the plate. “Oh yeah,” Chrono iterates, “Here’s the bread!” 

Chrono unravels the towel that he’d been carrying it in, taking a piece for himself and setting the rest at the opposite end of the table. He bites into it ravenously as his mentor sets down the egg for him. He’d spent his whole day out having fun he’d barely remembered he needs to eat. 

This bread is dry, it’s not sweet but not really savory either, as past meals have been. It’s almost a little salty, or maybe buttery, he’s not really one with such a platitude to tell. But he likes the taste a lot, that it’s a shame they can only gather what’s left and not make more than what they have. _ I don’t have any control over what we eat, _ he had said to him, on the first night Chrono had imposed on him.  _ But I’ll make sure it tastes good.  _

“It’s good tonight, too, Mentor.”

“Is it…?”

“That’s right.” Chrono speaks politely, after swallowing another big bite of bread. “Just like you’d promised.”

“So you’ll keep your promise of staying indoors, then?”

Chrono scoffs, “I’ll think about it,” He says, just like an immature little brat. But his smile is kind, and this one has taken to him more than he’d like to. It’s like a parent who warns not to name the cat one finds on the street, this one can’t help but adopt such a feeble little kitten.

“I’m glad it tastes good.”

 

Chrono settles into his bed after their evening prayers are finished, sitting up expectantly before a thought occurs to him.

“Oh, Mentor…” He says, fumbling through his things, “Look, look.”

He holds out his work before his mentor, who looks down at him curiously. It’s a flower crown, one with a rough aura riddled with little mishaps and bends that seem truly in character for this little brat. “You made it all by yourself?” He inquires, and Chrono nods his head a bit aggressively. “It’s nice.”

“It’s for my father, whenever I see him,  I…”

“I think he’ll like it.”

There’s a quiet pause in the air as the sentiment passes. Chrono hasn’t been here long, but there’s an eternal reminder how different he is to this one. He’s still human, still alive, a precious existence that’s been abandoned here without any reason beyond it. His mentor doesn’t know how exactly to explain something like that to a child, holding it deep in his heart a painful secret as they share this moment together. It pains him to think of the day it’s truth will come to head, but for now…

“That’s right, and then… This one I made for Mentor.”

He holds out another one, framing his head around the bright blue and yellow flowers. His hands are small, wrapped around this little crown, his smile bright and wide framed in the same floral embrace.

“You’re giving me one, too?”

“Yeah,” Chrono says, with a wide grin, “I’m especially giving this one to you.”

His mentor thinks to reach out, to take it in his own hands, but Chrono shakes his head.

“Come sit,” he says, patting the edge of the bed, “And then, lower your head…”

This one does exactly as he’s instructed, sitting next to Chrono and bowing before him. He feels like he’s being appointed, like this were the most important moment of his life altogether. “Be careful… Not to touch me.” He says meekly, looking up at Chrono.

“I know that, dummy.”

He huffs, throwing down the crown on his head with one hand. “See,” he says as he crosses his arm. “Didn’t touch!”

His mentor takes in a deep breath, before pulling the blanket over this rotten child and pushing him down on the bed. Before Chrono can unravel himself from the blanket monster, his mentor presses a hand to his head, ruffling his hair. It’s the closest to touch the two can come, lest he unintentionally be the one to curse this poor, pitiful child.

“Thank you,” He says, pulling down the blanket over Chrono’s head. “I’m happy.”

“You sure don’t look it.”

“Don’t act like that,” He says, tail waving angrily behind him. “I’m truly happy. I’m sure your father will be happy, too.”

“I’m glad.” Chrono smiles, turning his head, “So you won’t be lonely, now. When my father comes…”

There’s a pang in his chest at those words, the mentions of this father that never stop coming. He does nothing to reveal its truth, but he feels it in his heart this child’s far too optimistic. It’s a good trait he hopes Chrono never lets go of, no matter how difficult things become, he hopes if nothing else he can always draw out Chrono’s gentle smile at the end of a long summer day.

“If you have these flowers, you’ll never get lonely again, huh? Even if you’re all alone.”

His smile is too bright, like the blinding sun that hangs overhead in the daytime, it’s painful to even look at, knowing well the one who’s really alone is…

“That’s right.” He says, with a long pause. “I’m going to turn out the light now, so get comfortable, alright.”

“Good night, Mentor.”

Chrono says, voice muffled beneath a warm blanket.

“Good night.”

He responds in kind, watching over him at the door with the lights out until he closes his eyes. Whatever it is he dreams, he hopes they’re sweet, and comforting as a child like him deserves. Even as he longs to protect him from such a curse, he can’t protect him from the curse that is this; to be an abandoned child lost on the other side. 

**Author's Note:**

> comment and all that  
> i dont plan to write more of this or anything it was just a selfish desire to write something fun for myself. Although, if anyone else wants to write more of such an AU..... Please do...........


End file.
